DIY Craft Crate Bar Cart

First of all, HAPPY FRIDAY! I'm really looking forward to a weekend with no travel plans (rare for me) so I can finally paint a couple of pieces that have been crowding my garage. I think Robynne might put them all in a burn pile here pretty soon if I don't get them out of the way...

Anywho, I was going through some pictures of old projects and thought I'd do a mini tutorial on this easy little bar cart I made out of plain craft crates from Michael's. These pictures are old (and poor quality), and don't show each step in depth, but I"ll try to explain the best that I can!

What You'll Need: 
- plain craft crates from Michael's

-stain color of your choice (I used MinWax in Dark Walnut)

- wood glue

- stain brushes

-dropcloth... unless you have surface you don't mind staining

- drill and 10 3/4" screws

-PolyAcrylic finish (optional)

1. I started off with the 6 plain craft crates from Michael's, but you can choose however many you want depending on what size you'd like your final project to be! However- here's a little tip: you'd think these crates are cheap right? Yeahhhh, no. They rang up at $13.00 bucks a pop. So, being the cheapo I am, I printed out 6 separate 40% off coupons from the Michael's website and had the cashier run 6 separate transactions. He and the woman behind me were definitely not my biggest fans...

They looked like this:

Shiner thinks she's a model....

(Please note my tiny little balcony in my old apartment complex. I was constantly getting nasty-grams from the staff complaining about the half-painted furniture on my porch. What did I even do before I had a garage and a backyard?!)

2. Next, I used my wood glue (Gorilla Glue brand... that stuff sticks!) to adhere pairs of two crates together. I ended up with 3 sets of 2, glued to each other on their short sides. Then, I repeated that process and glued the pairs to each other on their long top sides. Although it sounds more logical to stain each crate first, the glue sticks to raw wood much better! Plus, why paint sides that you're just going to hide? 

I tried to take a picture of the stack... but it didn't really work out. Can you see past my pup? :)

3. After I got them all glued down in the right spot (play with the configuration a little before you glue them... the crates aren't exactly uniform so you might need to switch a couple around to make sure they look straight). Then I clamped every seam and let them sit for about an hour and a half. 

4. Next, I secured the boxes on the inside of the middle "seam". I inserted 3/4" screws in the very back corner of each crate to attach them to both the crate beside it, as well as above/below it. The wood was soft enough to screw directly into- so you shouldn't have to pre-drill any holes! I used 10 screws total. 

5. Now that your structure is secure, you can stain it! I used MinWax Dark Walnut, and did about 3 coats. If you're new to staining, check out this simple tutorial from the DIY Mamas. Just be prepared from nasty looking cuticles if you don't opt for some gloves! Remember to let the stain cure completely or dirt and dust and other funkiness will stick to it. I liked the natural texture of the wood, so I didn't seal my crates with anything. But if you like a more glossy, finished look you can always add a coat or two of PolyAcrylic.

When I was finished, my little bar cart looked like this! It was the perfect way to add some storage space in my little apartment's kitchen area. I was one happy wino :)

Of course, you could use this for any number of things. I've seen them used as cubbie units in kids' rooms, rustic outdoor storage spaces, entertainment centers with lots of room for books and movies, etc. 

Happy DIY'ing everyone! Have a safe and blessed weekend!